1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hydraulic circuit using a flow divider as a means of dividing flow in conjunction with a valve means that permits bypassing the flow divider as desired.
2. Background Information
Hydraulic systems are popular in applications involving hazardous, dirty, and nasty environments, such as coal mines, quarries, food processing plants, and construction sites. Much effort has been expended in trying to increase the efficiency and performance ranges of hydraulic drives.
Open loop hydraulic circuits are very common in industrial applications as they are often less expensive than circuits known, in the trade, as closed loop systems which comprise a fixed or variable displacement pump supplied with fluid by means of a charge pump.
Flow dividers are popular for splitting hydraulic fluid flows to actuators such as, but not restricted to, motors and cylinders. Valve type flow dividers are very popular because of low cost. Rotary flow dividers are less common, but often used because of some of their performance advantages.
Any component in a hydraulic system uses some power to operate. It is inherent in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which can be phrased as: “The house always takes its cut”.
In hydraulic vehicle drives, the desirability of using a flow divider, especially a rotary flow divider, is offset by the pressure drop of fluid flowing through the flow divider as well as friction inherent in a rotary flow divider. Consequently, applicant is unaware of any successful use of a rotary flow divider in conjunction with vehicles with hydraulic drive wheels.
For purposes of definition, the term hydraulic as used in hydraulic drives encompases both closed loop hydrostatic drives as well as open loop hydraulic drives.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcomes these and other shortcomings of existing hydraulic flow dividing technologies.